Its almost a week since Tom had his chemotherapy and after a dip, today he is starting to feel a little better. The first few days he felt quite well and he gradually got more tired and his chest became more problematic. I think Monday was his worst day and he is now improving. He was singing again this morning which I've said before, is my Tom barometer. When he initially went to the doctors in December, it was because he found a lump in his armpit. After a CT scan, it was found that the cancer had returned and it was now much higher in is chest. The lump under his arm was connected and so more chemotherapy was suggested. Well, today he felt the lump that he hadn't checked for a while and found it had reduced by about a third. Previously he has only been able to measure any improvement by his breathing, but today he was physically able to see an improvement, hence the singing. Although he is improved, he decided yesterday that he wouldn't be able to go to Uncle Normans funeral to do the eulogy and so this morning he wrote it and the Vicar is going to read it on his behalf. Although Tom is feeling slightly better today, for the rest of the week he enters a critical period where he is very vulnerable to infections. Chemotherapy doesn't just kill cancer cells, it also kills off the red and white blood cells along with other other rapidly reproducing cells of the body. By the time Tom has his next blood test for chemotherapy, everything should be back within the normal range for him to have his next treatment.

My walks with Skipper have been some what calmer since my muddy bath on Sunday. Yesterday we went to Fort Island for the first outing whilst Tom was resting. It was a beautiful day with a slight breeze and there was only Skipper and I there for most of the time. I'd have to be honest and say that I was a little tired for walking and so I let Skipper entertain himself for a while chasing planes. I stood and watched the birds and the clear sea gently lapping on the shingle shore. Skipper disturbed a couple of curlews and they flew off showing their annoyance in their call. Ducks seemed to be making the most of the quiet sea and just floated, letting the sea gently move them. I walked down the old jetty and marvelled at how clear the water was and how the seaweed seemed magnified in the sea with the sun bringing out all the different colours. After my reverie and Skipper happy at seeing off the planes, we returned home.

Today I didn't go anyway other than the park. This morning it was very misty, but even so, the planes where still taking off and Skipper was getting a good run in an empty park. I checked the trees today as well. I can hear you wondering what I could possiblly be checking the trees for. Well, when the trees were shedding their leaves in October/November, I noticed that they had already started to bud. Today I was checking how the budding was doing and it really hadn't changed. It will be a few months before the buds have a surge and we feel the thrill of spring. Tonight when I went to the park, I left it until it was nearly dark. Its good if it can be planned for the busiest taking off or landing of the planes. It doesn't half exercise Skipper for me. I stood a while with the light of the railway station illuminating part of the park. A little wren was shouting and alarm and as I got closer, it went into a bush and went very quiet. A blackbird was across the park singing probably his last song of the day and a couple of herons clack, clack, clacked in an evergreen tree where they appear to be nesting. Skipper and I made our way home when I was sure there was a lull at the airport. On the river the ducks, swans and geese were having their last meal of the night. All was well.